


Validation Party

by BrandyFromTheBottle



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Do it, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Forgiveness, Gen, Hugging, I mean, JUST, Self-Acceptance, Stuffed Toys, haha - Freeform, i love your scary ways mabel, if your great niece holding you emotionally hostage is bonding, just tryin to make people happy, or trying it out, validation party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-22 15:14:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14311476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrandyFromTheBottle/pseuds/BrandyFromTheBottle
Summary: Mabel throws a small party to show her Grunkles why everyone loves them.





	Validation Party

“Yer not gettin’ any money outta me,” Stan rumbles, arms crossed, but he’s tossed on his kitschy, 70s outfits with the top button undone and his gold chain gleaming, so Mabel knows that he’s ready to party. Ford’s harder, still in his sweater and slacks and, ugh, muddy boots. It’s a party!

“Silly Grunkle Stan!” she chirps and squishes his face, old man cheeks loose and kinda scratchy. “This is between FAMILY. You don’t ask family for money!” She chides and grabs one hand each of her Grunkles, pulling them toward a table piled high with stuffed animals. She misses the look shared between the elder Pines twins.

She drags them over and releases them to gesture at the table with a flourish.

“Ta-dah! Step one of ‘Mabel’s Super Secret Grunkle Party!’” Both men look at her, bewildered. “Choose a snuggle buddy!” She demonstrates, knowing her Grunkles are a bit...not good at picking up on this stuff. She plucks up a pink elephant thing. “Like this!”

“No way,” Stan grumbles and crosses his arms. Ford smiles softly.

“Mabel, we’re a bit, ah, old for toys.” He offers. Mabel gasps horrified.

“NEVER! You CAN’T be too old for SNUGGLES.” Her eyes go wide and wet, heartbroken. Stan breaks first.

“Ugh, fine! If it gets us outta here faster.” He mutters and picks up a blue bear type. Mabel beams.

“Oh! Good choice! Mr. Sky Sparkle is a very good listener.” She says, enthusiastic in the face of Stan’s defensive flush. Ford shrugs.

“Well! I’m never one to turn down an adventure!” He says and plucks up a platypus in a jarring tartan pattern. Mabel jumps with glee.

“Ooooh! Ms. Teacakes, yes.” Mabel still suddenly and nods sagely. “You’ve chosen well. Now! Onto the next phase of ‘Mabel’s Super Secret Grunkle Party!’”

“Not really a secret if ya keep sayin’ it,” Stan grumbles to Ford, who nudges his side. Mabel ignores him. Her Grunkles are funny about feelings. That’s okay. Tonight would change that.  
She takes them to another room. It’s dim and she hears Stan bump into something and swear. Ford shushes him.

“Mabel, pumpkin, ya think ya could turn on some lights or somethin’?”

“Oh! I have just the thing!” Ford crows and pulls out a kind of glow stick that is way too bright, but Mabel is used to staring at shiny things until her eyes water, so she’s immune. Stan is not.

“Augh!” He stumbles again. Ford hefts the light and looks down at Stan, perturbed.

“Stanley, are you alright?”

“Just peachy, Sixer.” Stan grunts and rises with several pops. Ford pats his shoulder once he’s standing. Mabel clears her throat.

“ANYWAY! Take a seat! Any seat!” There are only two seat on the couch that usually resides on the porch. The two men take their seats, shifting away from each other, just a bit, each holding their respective plushies.

“Mabel, sweetie--” Stan starts but is silenced by Mabel. She fiddles with a TV in front of the couch.

“Grunkle Stan! It’s not polite to talk during a movie!” she chides and the TV crackles to life with a close up of Mabel’s face. She stumbles back and beams. “Yes! I’ll get popcorn!” And she scurries out of the room. When she comes back with popcorn covered with sprinkles and sticky toffee the introduction is finishing up.

“And so!” The Mabel on TV says. “To show how much we love you, we have Super Grunkle Appreciation Day! Codename: Super Secret Grunkle Party!” The camera shakes and crackles. After an artful blur, it lands on a blurry Dipper and slowly comes into focus. “You first!” Mabel chirps at Dipper. He jumps and rubs at his neck.

“Uh, now, that, uh, kinda puts me on the spot.” He stutters. Mabel huffs behind the counter.

“You just have to say one thing you like about Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford!”

The Stan on the couch shifts while Ford leans forward, curious, dutifully holding Ms. Teacakes.   
“Oh, uh, well. Great Uncle Ford is, well, he’s so brave. And Smart! He’s so cool and strong and he’s the AUTHOR and--”

“Dipper! Just ONE thing.” Mabel sighs, camera jostling. Dipper blushes.

“Oh, uh.”

“Now Grunkle Stan!” Mabel encourages and Dipper is quiet, looking nervous and thoughtful. Stan slumps back into the couch, crossing his arms, looking away.

“Well, I was really mad at Grunkle Stan at the beginning--”

“Oh my God, Dipper, you’re really not--”

“No! I mean, I WAS but. After everything with Bill and...he’s. A really good guy.” Dipper scuffs at the floor with his shoes.

“...Because?” Mabel prompts. Dipper scowls.

“Because he believes in me.” Dipper mumbles.

“To the next!”

The video cuts out for a moment. Ford is looking curiously at Stan, who is still slouched on the couch, face suspicious but hopeful. Ford smiles and picks up the blue bear from the floor where it tumbled.

“Mr. Sky Sparkle?” He offers. Stan scoffs but snatches the plushie toy and maybe when he crosses his arms the bear is clutched tight to him.

“Mr. Pines? He’s a real cool boss. I mean, he’s super stingy, but he’s not a bad guy. The other dude? He’s pretty cool. Awesome boots.”

“Stanford Pines? Which one! Haha, I’m kidding! Wink. Always such a gentleman and so handsome. His brother isn’t so bad either.”

“Stanferd! Sure I know ‘im! He’s the one what made the big machine what made me lose my marbles! Right smart feller, though! He got a brother, don’t he? Some clever feller what runs the shack? I don’t reckon I remember. Raccoon wife, NO.”

“Mr. Pines! Mr. Pines is the BEST. He’s so smart and brave and nice. He’s, well, don’t tell anyone but, dudes, Mr. Pines is like, like a FATHER to me. The other Mr. Pines? Well, I dunno but if he’s like our Mr. Pines then he’s gotta be totally awesome, dudes!”

Mabel is quiet, the only one eating the sweet popcorn. She already thwarted three escape attempts and now both brothers are tense and squirming on the couch.

“That’s all, isn’t it?”

“Thank Moses, it’s over.”

“Not quite,” Mabel responds and both brothers look at her with horror. The TV shows static but Mabel pulls out another DVD. “I THOUGHT you might try and destroy the TV so I kept this one separate.” She easily switches out the DVDs and this time, instead of sitting in to watch, she inches to the exit, ready to leave if she needs to.

On screen, Stan is grumbling at something to his left.

“Come ON, Grunkle Stan! Just one thing.” A Mabel behind the camera wheedles. Stan grumbles.

“Like I got anything good to say about that stuck up, smart aleck--”

“Grunkle Stan!” Mabel scolds and Stan winces.

“Fine! Ford’s, he’s...well.” Stan pauses, then his eyes get far away. “Ya know, I was rememberin’, when we was kids, he’s--he’d be the only one that laughed at my jokes, even when they were sh--really bad.”

“Aw!”

“Ah, can it, shrimp.”

“Anything else?”

“Aw, com’on, you said one thing!” Stan whines at the Mabel behind the camera.

“Yeah, well, this is a negotiation.” Stan appraises Mabel and then smirks.

“Alright, pumpkin.” Stan leans back with a smirk. “Ford, well, he was--”

“Nah-ah! Something you like about Ford now!” Stan frowns, about to argue. Something he sees silences him and he grumbles.

“Fine. Uh...well.” Stan rubs the back of his neck, suddenly nervous.

The Stan on the couch bolts up, somewhere between running and sinking into the floor. The Ford next to him grabs his arm, stilling him, Stan looks like he’s going to argue, but Ford is staring at the TV. Almost sad. Almost regretful. Stan DOESN’T hug Mr. Sky Sparkles.

“Ford, well. See he always wanted to become this big shot scientist, right? Even when we were kids, he’d...I’m...” the Stan on the TV looks away. “I’m glad he got that, ya know?” The camera wavers.

“Grunkle Stan...” The Mabel on TV says, sad and small. TV Stan smiles at her.

“Ah, don’t be like that, pumpkin!” The camera shifts and blurs sickeningly. And the Stan on the couch tries to flee again. But Ford is serious about keeping him there.

The camera points at a shot of Stan’s knees and an armrest.

“Grunkle Stan?” Mabel in the TV asks.

“Hm?”

“Why did you work so hard to get Grunkle Ford back?” The screen is quiet, not silent, but quiet.

“I..well.” There’s a painful silence. The camera jerks and almost drops. “Woof! Agh, it’s, fine! Fine! He’s my brother. Oh, come on, kid, you can only...this ain’t a negotiation, this is a hostage situation.” The Stan in the TV says, a little watery: “I love ‘im, okay? He’s my brother. He’s the only one that cared about me growin’ up and I thought--well. That’s all over, isn’t it?” The Stan on screen makes some rough noises in his throat and the camera jostles again. “Go bother someone else! Brat.” The camera shuts off.

In the brief darkness, the Ford on the couch turns to Stan.

“Stanley--”

“Don’t.”

Stan hunches forward and he is not hugging the bear, he isn’t. Neither is Ford squeezing Ms. Teacakes’ stuffing to one side. Ford’s face shifts from broken concern to dawning horror. He suddenly scrambles for the TV when it comes to life. Stan jerks him back, figuring it out at about the same time.

“Oh, no. Fair’s fair.”

On-screen, Ford is looking excitedly if distractedly at the camera.

“You said this was an experiment? You never quite struck me as the sort.” Ford says, eyes bright. The camera jostles.

“Yup! I’m doing an experiment on feelings!” Mabel on the TV chirps. The TV Ford looks a little perplexed but is still smiling.

“Alright. I enjoy an adventure.” He says. The camera jostles.

“Okay, I just need you to say one thing you love in the person I say, okay?”

“Mabel, love isn’t quantifiable--”

“Grunkle Foooooord.”

“Ah, fine, fine. Let’s do this experiment of yours.”

“Great! Dipper?”

“Bright and enthusiastic.”

“McGucket?”

“Ah,” Ford frowns a moment before smiling wistfully. “A loyal friend.”

“Grunkle Stan?”

“...” Ford near freezes. “I think this experiment needs more structuring.” He says, frowning until his face brightens. “But good for you, taking an interest in science!” He makes to stand and the camera jostles.

“Just one thing, Grunkle Ford! One thing you love about Grunkle Stan. I mean, he’s your TWIN!”  
The Mabel on TV wheedles and the Ford on TV scowls.

“Mabel--”

“Just one,” Mabel says again. Ford grumbles under his breath and deflates back into his chair.  
“Very well. My brother...”

The Ford on the couch squirms and looks away, shamefaced.

“For all his selfishness and greed my brother has always...valued family.” Ford stops and looks expectantly at the Mabel behind the camera.

“Grunkle Ford, that’s two bad things and one good thing! Now you have to say two more good things to even it out!” The Ford on screen narrows his eyes.

“Fine. Stanley has always been...creative.” Ford trails of and stays quiet until Mabel clears her throat behind the camera. “And...loyal. For better or worse.” The TV Mabel sighs and the camera jostles and then it gets still, focused on Mabel climbing into Ford’s lap. He is stiff and unsure, but Mabel is as insistent as a limpet.

“You don’t love Grunkle Stan, do you?” She asks and her eyes are sparkling with something that isn’t glitter.

The Stan on the couch makes a low, muffled, wounded noise.

“Stay.” The Ford on the couch whispers, six-fingered hand covering his brother’s. Stan makes to jerk away but doesn’t.

“I...it’s complicated, Mabel. It isn’t...it’s different when you’re older.” TV Ford sighs and hesitantly puts a hand on Mabel’s head. Mabel sniffs.

“Why don’t you love Grunkle Stan?”

“I...Mabel, ah. Maybe you should go play upstairs?”

“He’s really nice.” Mabel continues, ignoring Ford. “He gave me a grappling hook.”

“Of course he did.” Ford mumbles. Mabel shoots up and grabs Ford’s face, squishing it.

“He’s a good guy! He’s gross and old and smelly but he’s a good guy!”

“I’m not saying--that is, I don’t mean...” Ford trails off, unsure of what to say.

“He’s your BROTHER.” She says like it means something. And to her, it does. It means Dipper, it means constant support even when she shouldn’t get it. It means someone to cry with and hug.

“I know,” Ford says, softly, so softly the camera almost doesn’t pick it up. Mabel curls close and now Ford is petting her hair. “I...do care about Stanley but you must understand that there are...complications.” Mabel grumbles and Ford chuckles. “Yes, well. Stan and I were always close. He was funny and charming. Very charismatic. He still is, really.” And TV Ford gets wistful. “I know he’s not a bad man, Mabel. I believe he has made some very dangerous choices, but, my brother. For all his swindling and posturing. He cares.”

Mabel mumbles something again. Ford’s sad smiles falls further. “No. No, I don’t think so.”  
The TV shuts off and flashes silent, monochrome static.

Mabel leaves in time to see the two brothers turning to each other, hurt and frustrated, but hoping.


End file.
